Premature deaths, family tragedies and herbicide

Mrs. Deng loves her adopted son Leo Van Quy very much as she was infertile. She has taken good care of him since he was a little boy until now when he got married and has an 11 year old boy. However, the boy’s two younger sisters had died prematurely by the time herbicide could be seen in every corner of the village.

Like many other corn growers in the village, Mr. Quy and his pregnant wife sprayed herbicide on their corn field, while his mother was so happy and busy with preparation for welcoming their baby: buying new baby clothes and feeding chickens to get more nutrient food for the daughter -in-law.

She waited so long for her son and daughter-in-law coming back from the hospital to see the baby. However, she was too shocked and desperate to notice that there was no baby, except for baby’s empty clothes. Their baby already died in the mother’s womb! The second time her daughter-in-law also prematurely gave birth. The new born just cried weakly like a cat then died. Mrs. Deng cried for her dead grandchildren that she never ever had a chance to see them. The only thing she could do was to share the sorrow with her daughter-in-law and encourage her to overcome the loss and look into the brighter future.

Having wondered whether herbicide was the reason for the son’s chest and spinal pains as well as his wife’s constant cardiac and lung pains, the young couple decided to stop corn farming to go to Hanoi for working, leaving their first son and 2 ha of corn field fully occupied by weeds to their mother.

Holding the photo taken with her husband Lo Van Cuong, Ms. Ha Thi Lam shared her sad story in tears. Her husband had some mental problems. One day, when no one was at home, he drank a cup of herbicide. Mrs. Deng loves her adopted son Leo Van Quy very much as she was infertile. She has taken good care of him since he was a little boy until now when he got married and has an 11 year old boy. However, the boy’s two younger sisters had died prematurely by the time herbicide could be seen in every corner of the village.